Archive for the ‘Internet Scams & Local Alerts’ Category

“The criminal is the creative artist; the detective only the critic.” G.K. Chesterron

I have at least twelve email accounts and there are some problems with spam on all of them. What concerns me is that scamers are spotting email addresses that connect with seniors and sending, not just spam-mail, but con-mail. That’s “con” as in con-artist or confidence crime. This shameful practice is targeted to my two email addresses that I use for email and senior blogs at a rate perhaps 500 times more frequently than other emails.

Criminals think that seniors are vulnerable because seniors are caring, considerate and sympathetic to others needs. Let this be a reminder to all seniors who use email that you should do the following:

Change your password frequently (every 12 weeks)

Never open email from a sender you don’t know

Never reply to an email from a bank or financial institution unless you are expecting one

Never open an email that says you have won a prize in a contest you didn’t enter

Never open an email with a code or unreadable return address

Never open an email from a foreign country (never – never – never!)

Never open an email with an animation or attachment (even from a friend) unless you requested it.

Never answer any email that asks for your personal information. (Even your birth date) This can be used to hack into your accounts at your bank, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you start receiving this kind of spam, fight it by getting a new email address and giving it only to approved friends and associates. You can get free email service at Yahoo, Google, Bing and other reputable sites that offer a wide variety of services.

Place spam filters on your email boxes.

Ask your friends never to send chain letters, picture arrays, animated cartoons, or greeting cards. Tell them you must approve each of these before they send them. If they continue to send them — don’t open them. Delete them immediately.

Delete all email from unknown senders without opening.

Finally please recognize people who ask for money for religions on TV are ALL BUSINESS PERSONS. They are doing it to profit from your donations. God does not need money. In fact, God is the sourceof all wealth. God does not beg, God gives. You know God as well as they do. God loves you as much as he loves any of his creation. God does not long for you to sacrifice money which is useless to God. Your money only goes to support buildings, automobiles, lobster dinners, and trips to tropical paradises.Don’t let these profiteers get your email address. Make your donations at home, to your own church or charity and be blessed for your generosity.

The same due diligence should be used on Facebook and Twitter. Make sure all your security features are activated and change your passwords often. Just today I noticed I sent out a blog about seniors who have financed their homes and I received promotional emails on this subject in less than 5 minutes. The spiders that search the web are forever looking up your buying habits and even the tone of your conversations and subjects of your discussions. You have very little privacy.

If you support a cause and respond with a request or donation, every related cause on the internet will bombard you with donation requests or offers to subscribe to their own email. Be selective in your contacts and only contribute to causes or charities that YOU chose. Those requests you receive might be from a con-artist criminal with no feelings and only feed his greed. I have received scamspam from criminals pretending to be my bank, phone company, irs, and more.